GFWC/GFWC GEORGIA FUND RAISING

Transcription

1 GFWC/GFWC GEORGIA FUND RAISING GFWC Georgia State Chairman Co-Chairman Committee Member Junior Conference Co-Chairmen GFWC Fundraising Chairman Julie S. Hamon (formerly Lumpkin) GFWC Magnolia Civic Woman s Club 1103 Wigwam Court Statesboro, GA Irma Shaw GFWC Lafayette Woman s Club P. O. Box 1944 Lafayette, GA Brenda Gramm GFWC Vienna Woman's Club 303 North Azalea Circle Vienna, GA Jessica Hall GFWC Sylvania Junior Woman s Club P. O. Box 442, Statesboro, GA Amelia Massey GFWC Violets Junior Woman s Club 50 Creek Trail, Sharpsburg, GA Brenda Gramm GWC Vienna Woman s Club 303 Azelea Circle, N Vienna, GA julieshamon@gmail.com (C) (H) imshaw@windstream.net (C) (H) bcgramm0528@yahoo.com Jessicahall13@gmail.com ameliamassey@att.net (H) Bcgramm0528@yahoo.com DISTRICT CHAIRMEN Central East District Laedenia Jewell GFWC Winder WC GFWC Athens-Oconee Junior Woman s Club 414 Harpy Eagle Drive Winder, GA Central West District Angelia Wright GFWC Morrow Civic Woman s Club 204 River Forest Drive Forsyth, GA North East District (C) lavmoon213@comcast.net (C) (H) Awrightvolsr1@aol.com North West District South East District South West District Irma Shaw GFWC Lafayette Woman s Club P. O. Box 1944 Lafayette, GA Annette Belk GFWC Sylvania Junior Woman s Club P.O. Box 306 Sylvania, GA Betty Clark GFWC Albany Woman's Club 2724 Ledo Road Albany, GA (C) (H) imshaw@windstream.net (C) annette.belk@yahoo.com (C) (H) bettyclark@mediacomb.net 221

2 GFWC/GFWC GEORGIA FUNDRAISING and DEVELOPMENT Fundraising and Development begins with people. Relationship building is the foundation on which most fundraising and development takes place. People give money to people, not to causes or organizations. As community leaders, you are ideally suited to raising money that generates non-dues revenue for your club, district, state, region, and GFWC. Fundraising and Development is a more contemporary term for what we traditionally have called Fundraising. Developing funds is more comprehensive and far reaching than just raising funds for a specific club cause or project. It involves using a wide array of approaches as well as allocating monies on an annual basis to an endowment or other fund. Establishing a Fundraising and Development plan will help sustain the financial security and integrity of our Federation, as well as your club, district, state, and Region. CREATING A SUCCESSFUL FUNDRAISING & DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM Appoint - Appoint an energetic and enthusiastic Fundraising and Development chairman to plan and organize your fundraising needs for the club year. Keep in mind that Fundraising and Development is about people and relationships. Use those members in your club that are well known in your community and have a wide circle of constituents, friends, and contacts. The fundraising and development chairman should be organized, experienced at setting goals and objectives, and skilled at delegating tasks and monitoring progress on projects. Analyze - The Fundraising and Development chairman should work with the club president and treasurer to analyze the goals and obligations of your club. Evaluate your club s financial needs to determine what monies you need to bring in for your operational budget. Consider the following: Do you have a financial goal for a specific donation or purchase? Does your club have an ongoing fundraising project or must a new fundraiser be established each year? How will the beneficiary of the profits be determined? Does your club have a specific organization it wishes to support? The public is more likely to donate or attend a fundraiser if they know who or what they are supporting. The recipient of the fundraiser may determine the type of fundraiser you will have. If the funds are to be used to meet the club s operational needs, then something like a bake sale or craft show should be considered. If your project will profit another organization, consider holding an event where you sell tickets or charge admission to the event. A ticket buyer will probably not want to pay for your club s expenses. Coordinate with other community events, if possible. For example, if your community is sponsoring an area-wide garage sale, it would be a great time for your club to have a garage sale as well. Once you establish your fundraising needs, the fundraising and development chairman s next step is to create an enthusiastic Fundraising and Development team and program. 222

3 Build - At this point, the chairman needs to appoint or request volunteers to serve as committee members. In addition to the committee, what role will other club members play in creating a successful development plan and assisting with fundraising projects? Use the resources within your club. Do you have members with special skills? You might use accountants to keep track of expenses and income and help prepare a budget; or writers to draft letters to possible sponsors, create ads and press releases, or write grants. Who in your club is good at asking for donations or organizing projects? Have the first committee meeting be a productive, yet fun event. Choose a meeting time and place that is convenient for most people. The chairman should always come prepared to share the vision and provide copies of the meeting agenda for each committee member. At the end of the first meeting, schedule the date and time for the next meeting. Involve your committee members right from the outset. Give them homework so that they will be engaged immediately. The Fundraising and Development Committee may be presented with information on the need for one major fundraising project, perhaps several smaller ones during a year or administration, or just a financial goal with the committee left to decide how best to meet the goal. Whatever the decision one or many projects the committee members should be presented with the basic fundraising information goals and timeline established to achieve the goals. It is important that the roles and duties of the individual subcommittees be well defined, so all necessary duties are assigned with no one person or subcommittee having too much or too little responsibility. The number of available volunteers and size and scope of the project may play a role in the assignment of duties to committee members. Scheduling meetings of the full committee should be discussed with committee members. The need and frequency for future meetings should be discussed as well as times which best meet the schedules of most members. The committee should meet after the event to discuss what worked well, what did not, evaluate the success of the project or projects, make recommendations for the future. A written report with these findings is helpful for future fund development committees. Motivate -Like other non-profit organizations, GFWC clubs need to realize profits from fundraisers immediately. Often, the income is crucial to meeting a club s annual budget. However, businesses understand that development takes time and may involve financial risk. It could take several years to see profit from a new marketing idea. For clubs to be successful in developing new fund opportunities, both leaders and members must be committed to a project that may take several years to reach its full potential. Keep in mind the following five steps as you begin. Remember, success is the best motivator! 223

4 PROJECT SELECTION - Your club s Fundraising and Development Committee should bring some of its ideas to the club, allowing club members to provide feedback and generate additional ideas. Keep in mind that a great fundraising program is a mix of different projects tailored to fit the needs of your club and community. Successful fundraisers also have a wide gap between production costs and revenue. Projects should be carefully selected and planned so that costs do not exceed projected revenues. Fundraising Products - The secret to fundraising through products is finding the product that is right for your club. There is an enormous selection of fundraising products available and many different ways to sell them. Consider the following: What are the up-front costs? How much of the product will you need to sell in order to reach your goal? Factor in overhead costs such as shipping, handling, and advertising. Price your items to make it attractive to your customers. Know your competition, what they sell, and their prices. Enhance fundraising efforts by participating in coupon and affinity programs designed to provide in-kind donations from various companies such as Campbell s Labels for Education. Solicit grants from local and national companies. Apply for grants from GFWC, when applicable. Refer to the Awards, Contests, and Grants Guide for more information. Promote and encourage the use of GFWC-endorsed fundraising companies GFWC ENDORSED FUNDRAISERS GFWC partners with a variety of fundraising companies who can assist clubs in your fundraising efforts. These companies offer products and merchandise, such as greeting cards, chocolate and nuts, jewelry, and other items that you can sell in your community to help bring in funds that assist your club in meeting its financial goals. Terri Lynn 1450 Bowes Road Elgin, IL customerservicef@terrilynn.com Raise money all year long selling Terri Lynn s healthy and delicious gourmet nuts and confections. Let over 75 years of family traditions earn profits for you and your club. We offer traditional fundraising through table and brochure sales, or enjoy the benefits of your very own web store through our NEW Terri Lynn Cares program at It s fast to set up, available year round, and will generate easy profits for your GFWC Club. A proven partner with GFWC, Terri Lynn Cares by giving back to GFWC on every sale. FlowerPower P.O. Box 900 Calais, ME marketing@flowerpowerfundraising.com Providing a green and healthy fundraising alternative to traditional programs, Flower Power Fundraising helps beautify communities while at the same time offering tremendous value for non-profit groups across America. Every product guaranteed, 50% Profit, shipping direct to your customers homes plus a customized online program are just a few of the many benefits you will enjoy when working with Flower Power Fundraising. 224

5 GFWC updates its list of endorsed fundraisers on a regular basis, and you can see more information about these companies at Look for additional information in News & Notes and GFWC Clubwoman Magazine. GFWC updates its list of endorsed fundraisers on a regular basis, and you can see more information about these companies at Look for additional information in News & Notes and GFWC Clubwoman Magazine. DEVELOP A COMMUNICATIONS PLAN - Publicity is a key component in your fundraising success. Increased community awareness will enhance the event s profitability. Prepare a comprehensive communications plan and timeline for your event. Everything from creating posters, news releases, and updating your club website, to recruiting volunteers and contacting the media should be blueprinted well in advance. Be certain that your committee members are well versed in all event details so that each can serve as a project ambassador. Always include the GFWC emblem and preface your club name with GFWC in all communication tools, to reinforce your identity and credibility as GFWC volunteers! Refer to the Communications and Public Relations Advancement Guide for information on creating and implementing a publicity plan. CELEBRATE! Don t you love it when a plan comes together? You and your fellow club members have worked hard to raise funds for your designated project. You appointed an energetic and enthusiastic chairman and committee. You analyzed your club s needs and strengths, organized volunteers, selected a fundraiser, brainstormed, and put your plan together. You motivated your members, gave them tasks to accomplish, and a timeline in which to do so. You worked your plan, overcoming any challenges, and had a most successful fundraiser. What s next? After evaluating your effectiveness, tallying the money raised and spent, and writing a comprehensive procedure report, it is time to celebrate your success. Remember to send thank you notes, and consider handwritten notes to your committee members and those who went out of their way to help. There are endless was to show your appreciation. Consider a small bottle of hand soap or sanitizer with a note that reads: Thanks for getting your hands dirty! Awards or certificates to all involved are usually appreciated. Keep the token of appreciation small and within reason. Remember, it is the thought that counts. You may choose to celebrate ith a small get-together, such as a pizza party or social gathering. Take some time to bask in the wonderful afterglow of a successful event and thank those who made it happen. Be proud of what you have accomplished together! GFWC FUND DEVELOPMENT - The success of our Federation and its initiatives depends upon the generosity of our members as well as those who are committed to the idea of improving communities through volunteer service. GFWC is a 501(c)(3) organization that relies on member and private donations, corporate support, and foundation grants to help support our community 225

6 service programs and special programs, as well as provide membership services and benefits, including professional development, leadership training, club membership grants, and awards. It is a common misconception that only large donations are important. ALL donations to GFWC in any amount are appreciated and recognized and they all make a difference. You can help secure GFWC s financial future by encouraging tax-deductible contributions to the following GFWC funds: THE CAMPAIGN FOR THE FUTURE The Campaign for the Future has been established to secure and sustain the property and programming of the Federation and is intended to stimulate philanthropic activity and financial planning that will encourage members and their families to leave a legacy that supports the great works, time honored traditions, and future efforts of our clubs and clubwomen around the globe. ENDOWMENT FUND The GFWC Endowment Fund was started in 1910 to help ensure a firm financial foundation and assist in providing for the future needs of GFWC. Contributions to this fund are permanently restricted, although income earned on this fund is unrestricted and has been used to support programs, advocacy and outreach efforts, and overall membership development opportunities. FRIENDS OF THE WHRC Donations assist the Women s History and Resource Center (WHRC) engage in outreach activities for students, teachers, and others interested in learning more about the history of GFWC and women volunteers; preserve and catalog the WHRC s multimedia collections; build the research library collection; and offer internships and research fellowships. GFWC LIBRARY REPLENISHMENT FUND In 2011, GFWC established the GFWC Library Replenishment Fund, tying together members generous financial gifts and passion for literacy with our mission of community improvement through volunteer service. This fund assists in restocking the collections of public and public school libraries that have been affected by natural and man-made disasters. It is an ongoing collection connected to historical advancements in founding, maintaining, and promoting libraries spearheaded by GFWC members. Through this fund, grants will be provided to GFWC clubs to help them replenish libraries affected by disasters in their communities. Individual members, clubs, State Federations, and other interested organizations are encouraged to make donations to the fund, which will be used to provide these grants and donations-in-kind. JANE CUNNINGHAM CROLY GRAVESITE REFURBISHMENT FUND Contributions support the refurbishment and maintenance efforts at GFWC founder Jane Cunningham Croly s gravesite in the Evergreen Cemetery in Lakewood, NJ, and provide a wellmaintained, manicured gravesite that honors Jennie June in a manner consistent of her contributions to volunteerism. 226

7 1734 SOCIETY Named for our esteemed address 1734 N Street, NW, Washington, D.C. the purpose of the GFWC 1734 Society is to ensure the preservation of GFWC Headquarters, a National Historic Landmark. Built in 1875, and established as GFWC Headquarters in 1922, the building not only has a rich history, but also provides a home to the International President during her term of office, serves as professional office space, and houses the GFWC Women s History and Resource Center. Donations to the 1734 Society can be made at three membership levels Mildred Carlson Ahlgren Level ($17.34 $173.39), Mary King Sherman Level ($ $1,733.99), and Alice Ames Winter Level ($1,734+). AWARDS GFWC recognizes State Federations for outstanding projects and clubs for creative projects in implementing effective Fundraising and Development program, as follows: Certificate to one State Federation in each membership category $50 award to one club in the nation for project creativity Award winners will be determined by entries into the Awards Program. Each State Federation may submit one State Award Entry Cover Sheet and one Club Creativity Award Entry Cover Sheet for the Fundraising and Development program. Clubs do not submit entries directly to GFWC. GFWC endorsed fundraisers may recognize GFWC clubs for their fundraising efforts. 227